The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
A typical automatic transmission includes a hydraulic control system that, among other functions, is employed to actuate a plurality of torque transmitting devices. These torque transmitting devices may be, for example, friction clutches and brakes. The conventional hydraulic control system typically includes a main pump that provides a pressurized fluid, such as oil, to a plurality of valves and solenoids within a valve body. The main pump is driven by the engine or electric motor of the motor vehicle. An auxiliary pump may also be provided powered by a secondary prime mover, such as an electric engine, to provide fluid flow when the prime mover, and therefore the main pump, is turned off such as during stop-start engine control strategies. The valves and solenoids supplied with the hydraulic fluid are operable to direct the pressurized hydraulic fluid through a hydraulic fluid circuit to the plurality of torque transmitting devices within the transmission. The pressurized hydraulic fluid delivered to the torque transmitting devices is used to engage or disengage the devices in order to obtain a torque path from the engine to the transmission output member.
Some pressurized fluid systems may be required to operate multiple transmission systems using the same basic hardware assemblies such as pumps, pump bodies and valve bodies, for example. When adapting common hardware to new or different hydraulic fluid systems, some individual parts may be substituted with new parts to save on complexity and money. Previously, a unique pressurized fluid system was required for each transmission application. Unique pressurized fluid systems while performing well for their application require immense amounts of investment and design work and causes additional complexity within the manufacturing process. Additional parts and manufacturing steps also increase the cost of the system while decreasing its reliability. While these fluid systems are effective, there is room in the art for an apparatus for adapting a single hydraulic fluid system to multiple transmission applications.